Shopping bag with protective cover



Aug. 25, 1964 E. B. SMITH. 3,145,903

SHOPPING BAG WITH PROTECTIVE -'COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 T 1 4- Filed July 26, 1962 INVENTOR. fan 4R0 3.,5'M/7'H' Aug. 25, 1964 E. B. SMITH SHOPPING BAG WITH PROTECTIVE COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEgJOR fan 4R0 .5. M/TH NEYS Filed July 26, 1962 United States Patent 3,145,908 SHOPPING BAG WITH PROTECTIVE COVER Edward B. Smith, 172 th Ave., Madison 10, NJ. Filed July 26, 1962, Ser. No. 212,607 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-54) The present invention relates to improvements in shopping bags and'it relates, more particularly, to an expansible type of shopping bag having carrying handles at one end which incorporates a cover for protection of the contents of the bag;-

An object of the invention is to provide an expansible shopping bag with a protectivecover which forms a part of the bag and whichcan'be readily placed over the contents of the-bag when desired. Another object of the invention is to provide a shopping bag with a cover for protecting the contents of the bag which will not interfere with placing articles in the bag or the storage of such bags prior to their use.

In general, the invention relates to an expansible shopping bag which may be formed in the usual manner from a tube of paper or other similar material which is closed at one end, with the other end being open. In such shopping bags, it is customary to provide carrying handles secured to opposite side walls of the bag at the open end thereof. Shopping bags of this character are generally rectangular in shape when erected and are usually distributed by merchants as a convenience for their customers in carrying a number of packages which have been wrapped separately. However, when packages are placed in such a bag, the mouth of the bag remains open and the individual packages which frequently are gift wrapped, are exposed to the elements and can become damaged by rain, snow or the like.

In order to overcome this deficiency, the present invention provides a protective cover for such a bag in the form of a separate sheet or ply which is attached to one side of the bag adjacent the open end thereof. The separate ply or sheet lies flat against the side of the bag and its lower end which extends to the bottom of the bag. Thus, by raising the free end of the sheet and placing the sheet over contents of the bag, protection is provided in a very inexpensive and simple manner. The inclusion of such a protective cover in a shopping bag does not add materially to the cost of the bag or the space required to store such bags prior to their use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and be better understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shopping bag embodying the invention in expanded form;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the shopping bag shown in FIG. 1 in its fiat or collapsed form prior to use;

FIG. 3 is a section view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in section taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 2, but illustrating a modified form of shopping bag embodying the invention;

FIG. 6 is a section view taken along the line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view in perspective of another form of shopping bag embodying the invention; and

FIG. 8 is a side view in vertical, on a somewhat enlarged scale, of an assembled shopping bag as shown in FIG. 7.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and to FIGS. 1-4 in particular, there is an expansible shopping bag 10 having a body portion 11 formed from a tube of paper or the like which is open at one end and has a flat bottom 12 closing its other end. The end walls 13 of the body portion in any suitable manner.

the body portion form gussets which fold inwardly to permit the bag to be collapsed to a flat condition, as shown in FIG. 2, for storage and shipment. As shown in FIG. 1, the bag is generally rectangular in shape and is open as its upper end when expanded for use.

In addition, carrying handles 14 of cord or the like are secured to opposing side walls 15 of the body portion of the bag and extend beyond the open end of the bag. The carrying handles may be secured to the side walls of For example, they may be secured by staples 16 to a reinforcing strip 17 which is in turn secured to theside wall of the body portion by an adhesive with a flap 18 formed at the end of the side wall being turned inwardly over the reinforcing strip. This is a conventional way of securing the handles to the body portion of the bag and it will be understood that other ways of securing the handles to the bag may be employed if desired.

In accordance with the present invention, a protective cover 19 in the form of a separate ply or sheet of flexible material is incorporated in the bag by securing one end of the sheet beneath the inwardly turned flap on one side wall of the body portion. The cover sheet or ply should be longer than the width of the bag when expanded, with its lower end being free. In the usual size shopping bag, the sheet is preferably of the same size and shape as the side Wall of the body portion to which it is attached and extends to the point where the side wall joins the bottom of the bag. Hence, when the bag is erected, the free end of the sheet abuts the bottom of the bag and the sheet will lie flat against the side of the bag so as not to interfere with the placing of packages in the bag or their removal from the bag.

When it is desired to protect the contents of the bag, the free end of the sheet is lifted from its normal position adjacent the bottom of the bag and placed over the contents of the bag, as shown in FIG. 4. In order for the sheet to be of adequate length to cover the contents of the bag, it is desirable that the sheet extend for substantially the full length of the side of the bag.

In the shopping bag shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the handles are secured to opposite sides of the tubular body portion of the bag by an adhesive and strips 20 which extend across each side of the body portion and over the ends of the handles. In this instance, the end of the sheet forming the cover which is secured to the body portion, may be used in place of one of the strips and thus, extends over the ends of one of the handles, as illustrated.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a separate ply or sheet 17a forming a protective cover may be incorporated in the bag as part of a liner 21 which extends along opposite sides of the bag and across the bottom. In this embodiment, the liner may be secured to the inner surfaces of opposite sides of the body portion at their upper edges by an adhesive and can be used to hold the handles in place. The liner on one side of the bag is folded back on itself to form the separate sheet or ply which also extends along one of the fiat sides of the body portion to the bottom of the bag.

The liner lends strength to the bag and it may be different color than the bag body so that initials 22 or other characters cut in the sides of the bag body can be used for advertising or display purposes.

It will be noted that in the drawings, similar parts in the various embodiments have been identified by the corresponding reference numerals.

It will be understood that various modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art in the embodiments of the invention illustrated and described herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with an expansible shopping bag having upstanding side and end walls defining an opening at one end thereof and a bottom closing the other end thereof, said bag also including carrying handles secured to opposite side walls at said open end, a protective cover comprising:

(a) a separate sheet of flexible material;

(b) said sheet being secured at one end to an inner surface of one side wall of the bag at a point close to the open end of the bag and extending toward the bottom of the bag for a distance greater than the width of the bag with its other end being free.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 which includes:

(a) a liner of flexible sheet material extending along the inner surfaces of the side walls of the bag and across a bottom of the bag; and

(b) the separate sheet is attached to said liner at one end thereof.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein:

(a) the separate sheet is of substantially the same size and shape as the side wall of the bag to which it is secured.

4. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein:

(a) an end of the separate sheet extends over lower end portions of a carrying handle and holds said end portions to the side wall of the bag.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,115,802 Dann May 31, 1938 2,269,796 Strasser Jan. 13, 1942 2,272,938 Ferrante Feb. 10, 1942 3,000,549 Stange Sept. 19, 1961 3,006,532 Fine Oct. 31, 1961 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 145,908 August 25, 1964 Edward B., Smith It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent req'iiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected" below.

In the heading to the printed specification line 3 for "172 5th Ave, Madison 10, N. J, read Madison N. J., (172 5th Ave, 1 New York 10, N., Y) column 2,, line 5 for "as" read at line 61 after "he" insert of Signed and sealed this 12th day of January 1965 (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attcsting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH AN EXPANSIBLE SHOPPING BAG HAVING UPSTANDING SIDE AND END WALLS DEFINING AN OPENING AT ONE END THEREOF AND A BOTTOM CLOSING THE OTHER END THEREOF, SAID BAG ALSO INCLUDING CARRYING HANDLES SECURED TO OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS AT SAID OPEN END, A PROTECTIVE COVER COMPRISING: (A) A SEPARATE SHEET OF FLEXIBLE MATYERIAL; (B) SAID SHEET BEING SECURED AT ONE END TO AN INNER SURFACE OF ONE SIDE WALL OF THE BAG AT A POINT CLOSE TO THE OPEN END OF THE BAG AND EXTENDING TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF THE BAG FOR A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE BAG WITH ITS OTHER END BEING FREE. 